Thai Cottrell, a 5-foot-6 slotback, and fullback William Gulley turned the aerial circus into a ground game for a 31-28 victory Friday night in a game marred by 29 penalties. Oceanside rushed for 308 yards.

By winning, Oceanside advanced to next Saturday’s championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Escondido High to play Poway, which won last year’s Division I crown.

It will be the Pirates’ 15th title game in the last 19 seasons.

Cottrell scored two touchdowns and rushed for 114 yards in the second half, including a 54-yard romp in the fourth quarter to finish with 155 for the top-seeded Pirates (11-1).

Gulley added 19 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown that proved to be the game-winner with 10:12 to play in the game.

Valhalla (9-4) tried to answer back, but a Ryshaud Keegan interception on the very next drive kept the visitors at bay.

On the Norsemen’s final drive, Sean Sweet tackled Romano short on fourth down at midfield with 1:35 to play in the game.

Romano wound up 17 of 33 passing for 295 yards and a TD while Paopao was 15 of 29 for 199 yards and a TD.

Oceanside took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Cottrell’s 5-yard run.

Oceanside opened the second quarter with Fernando Elizarraraz’s 37-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead before the Norsemen (9-4) answered with Nehemiah Brown’s halfback-option TD pass to Todd John.

The Pirates pushed the lead to 17-7 on Mikah Holder’s 9-yard TD pass from Paopao with 2:10 left before halftime.

Just 13 seconds later, Romano found a streaking Todd for an 85-yard TD pass, cutting the halftime deficit to 17-14.

Valhalla had knocked off a pair of North County teams in Rancho Bernardo and La Costa Canyon to reach the semifinals.

OCEANSIDE  The expected passing duel between Oceanside High’s Tofi Paopao and Valhalla’s Ramsey Romano took a different path.

Thai Cottrell, a 5-foot-6 slotback, and fullback William Gulley turned the aerial circus into a ground game for a 31-28 victory Friday night in a game marred by 29 penalties. Oceanside rushed for 308 yards.

By winning, Oceanside advanced to next Saturday’s championship game at 7:30 p.m. at Escondido High to play Poway, which won last year’s Division I crown.

It will be the Pirates’ 15th title game in the last 19 seasons.

Cottrell scored two touchdowns and rushed for 114 yards in the second half, including a 54-yard romp in the fourth quarter to finish with 155 for the top-seeded Pirates (11-1).

Gulley added 19 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown that proved to be the game-winner with 10:12 to play in the game.

Valhalla (9-4) tried to answer back, but a Ryshaud Keegan interception on the very next drive kept the visitors at bay.

On the Norsemen’s final drive, Sean Sweet tackled Romano short on fourth down at midfield with 1:35 to play in the game.

Romano wound up 17 of 33 passing for 295 yards and a TD while Paopao was 15 of 29 for 199 yards and a TD.

Oceanside took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Cottrell’s 5-yard run.

Oceanside opened the second quarter with Fernando Elizarraraz’s 37-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead before the Norsemen (9-4) answered with Nehemiah Brown’s halfback-option TD pass to Todd John.

The Pirates pushed the lead to 17-7 on Mikah Holder’s 9-yard TD pass from Paopao with 2:10 left before halftime.

Just 13 seconds later, Romano found a streaking Todd for an 85-yard TD pass, cutting the halftime deficit to 17-14.

Valhalla had knocked off a pair of North County teams in Rancho Bernardo and La Costa Canyon to reach the semifinals.